Water: The Rime of Modern Industry
by David Connor
“Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink.”
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner describes the story of a journey of a ship first driven south into trouble in Antarctica by a storm until an albatross leads them to safety. The bird is subsequently shot by the Mariner with his crossbow, who then watches all his crew die from thirst whilst he survives in shame.
Samuel Coleridge very probably wasn’t writing about corporate governance challenges, but maybe as World Water Day fast approaches it’s time to refocus on where the water issues are on such a rapidly rising sustainability, economic and political stage.
Draw what numerous analogies you will between this plot and the journey of hopeful enlightenment that industry in particular is still travelling, but when it takes 15,000 litres of water to produce two steaks, or 10 litres for every sheet of paper, we have to question our collective captaincy’s achievements so far.
Global water demand for manufacturing is expected to increase by 400% from 2000 to 2050, and that is from an already high level. Many companies have tackled water management for some time and all will acknowledge its growing shadow.
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David, or @davidcoethica as many know him via Twitter, has a 17-year history working in the CSR and sustainability field, initially in community engagement at Everton Football Club where he spent eight years. To learn more about David, click here.
